Title: When Stars Rain Down by Angela Jackson-Brown
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Genre: Historical, Fiction
Length: 368 pages
Book Rating: B+
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley
Summary:
In When Stars Rain Down, Angela Jackson-Brown introduces readers to a small, Southern town grappling with haunting questions still relevant today—and to a young woman whose search for meaning resonates across the ages.
This summer has the potential to change everything.
The summer of 1936 in Parsons, Georgia, is unseasonably hot, and Opal Pruitt senses a nameless storm brewing. She hopes this foreboding feeling won’t overshadow her upcoming eighteenth birthday or the annual Founder’s Day celebration in just a few weeks. She and her Grandma Birdie work as housekeepers for the white widow Miss Peggy, and Opal desperately wants some time to be young and carefree with her cousins and friends.
But when the Ku Klux Klan descends on Opal’s neighborhood, the tight-knit community is shaken in every way possible. Parsons’s residents—both Black and white—are forced to acknowledge the unspoken codes of conduct in their post-Reconstruction era town. To complicate matters, Opal finds herself torn between two unexpected romantic interests—the son of her pastor, Cedric Perkins, and the grandson of the woman she works for, Jimmy Earl Ketchums. Both young men awaken emotions Opal has never felt before.
Review:
When Stars Rain Down by Angela Jackson-Brown is a captivating historical novel that is socially relevant in today’s world.
In 1936, Opal Pruitt is looking forward to her eighteenth birthday. She lives with family matriarch Bridie and they both work for Miss Peggy. Although the Pruitt family is close-knit, Birdie is very independent and knows her own mind. The family is very protective of Opal but they cannot shield her from volatile racial violence that is about to boil over.
Opal is a hardworking young woman who loves her Granny dearly. She has lived a fairly sheltered life and Granny keeps a close eye on her. Opal has a soft spot for Miss Peggy’s grandson Jimmy Earl Ketchums but they can never be anything but friends. The preacher’s son Cedric Perkins makes no effort to hide his interest in her, but will Granny agree to let Opal spend time with him?
The annual Parsons Founder’s Day celebration is coming up, but trouble is looming on the horizon. Word gets back to Granny that the Ku Klux Klan is planning to ride through their part of town. Outside of property damage, they emerge from the frightening ordeal unscathed. But Opal has caught the attention of someone who believes she is his for the taking, and tensions rise after she assaulted. When the situation eventually turns violent, everyone’s lives are forever changed.
When Stars Rain Down is a thoroughly engrossing novel with a storyline that is timeless. The characters are extremely well-drawn with relatable strengths and weaknesses. The plot is multi-layered and could easily take place today. The setting is easy to visualize and springs vibrantly to life. Angela Jackson-Brown brings this heartfelt novel to a poignant conclusion. I absolutely loved and highly recommend this incredible novel.
